Jaipur, Jan 21 (IANS) Grain ATMs will be set up in Jaipur, Bharatpur and Bikaner, allowing beneficiaries to automatically receive their ration using ration cards, eliminating the need to visit fair price shops, Rajasthan Food and Civil Supplies Minister Sumit Godara said on Wednesday.

He further said that Rajasthan’s ‘Give Up’ campaign has emerged as a landmark initiative in strengthening food security, with more than 54 lakh affluent individuals voluntarily giving up their entitlements, paving the way for the inclusion of nearly 73 lakh eligible beneficiaries.

Addressing a press conference at the Secretariat, the minister described the campaign as a reflection of the public’s spirit of sacrifice and social responsibility under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma.

Godara said that since its launch on November 1, 2024, more than 54.36 lakh affluent and ineligible individuals have voluntarily surrendered their food security benefits. As a result, food security coverage has been extended to around 73 lakh eligible beneficiaries across the state.

He said the campaign will conclude on February 28, after which action will be taken as per rules against ineligible beneficiaries who fail to opt out voluntarily.

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ensuring saturation under the food security scheme, so that no eligible person is left out, has guided the campaign. Acting on the directions of Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, the state government relaunched the Food Security Portal on January 26 last year, facilitating large-scale inclusion of eligible beneficiaries.

Godara explained that Rajasthan has a ceiling of 4.46 crore beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act (NFSA). Due to saturation, there was no scope earlier to include new beneficiaries. However, voluntary relinquishment under the Give Up campaign and the failure of nearly 27 lakh NFSA beneficiaries to complete e-KYC created vacancies for about 81 lakh eligible persons, accounting for 18.6 per cent of the current NFSA beneficiaries.

He added that the campaign was appreciated by Union Home Minister Shah during the recently held 32nd Northern Zonal Council meeting.

Jaipur district recorded the highest number of new inclusions, with 3.17 lakh eligible beneficiaries added to the food security list. Barmer and Sikar followed with 3.07 lakh and 3.04 lakh beneficiaries, respectively, he added.

The minister said the state currently has 4.35 crore beneficiaries, leaving around 11 lakh vacancies under the NFSA. Applications are being accepted continuously, with only 90,000 applications currently pending, making Rajasthan the only state with such availability.

To ensure transparency, departmental officers conduct eight days of field surveys every month, supported by a three-tier verification system. District Collectors have been empowered to approve eligible cases.

–IANS

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